CHARLOTTE — Duke Energy said it is set to transport a massive transformer from Charlotte to the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Power Plant on Lake Norman on April 3.
The transformer, which is 158 feet long, over 16 feet tall, nearly 24 feet wide, and weighs 460,496 pounds, will enter Lincoln County from Gaston County between 1 and 2 a.m. and is expected to reach its destination at Eastlake Lane by 5 a.m.
Lincoln County Emergency Management will place message boards on NC Highway 73 on April 1 to alert motorists about potential travel disruptions during the transport.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office will coordinate with the Lincoln County Communications Center to issue reverse 911 calls to the Denver area on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
The transport route will take the transformer north on New Highway 16 from the Gaston County line, then east on Highway 73.
During the move, the road will be inaccessible from Mecklenburg County at Club Drive until the truck turns onto Eastlake Lane.
The transport operation is expected to impact traffic in Lincoln County from 1 to 5 a.m., with local authorities taking steps to inform and manage the public during this time.
Editor’s Note: The sheriff’s office initially said the transformer was going to the McGuire Nuclear Plant, but Duke Energy clarified it is the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Power Plant.
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